I'm not sure how familiar any of you are with the game beer pong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_pong) but I was wondering whether or not it was better to use hot or cold water to clean off the pong balls. You're supposed to 'clean off' the balls by dipping them in a cup of water, without any soap. I know this is a very poor way of sanitizing but this is how it's done.

Anyways, I figured it would be better to use cold water in the cups so that the bacteria doesn't grow as quickly as it would in hot water. When you use hot water in the cups, it wouldn't be hot enough to scold your hands so I figured it also isn't hot enough to kill off bacteria.

I can't see the need to sterilise them either, to be honest. I don't think anyone's going to be doing anything with them any time soon that requires they need to be completely microbe-free. Heck, they'll probably just be used for the same game over and over.

However, reguarding hot or cold water if you did wish to sterilize them:I probably would go for cold water. Not only is it easier to maintain water at a cold temperature (by the addition of ice, of example) it would also be a good preventer of microbes growing within it. On top of that it may make your fingers chilly for a few seconds, but it will not cause any major damage from a quick dip and (unlike hot water) wont lose it's heat and therefore effectiveness rapidly.